Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
A slow smile crept onto her red lips. “And the sex?”
My eyes closed, and I tried to think. “Words are failing me.”
Veronica laughed. “It’s that good?”
“Good doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. Hot seems inadequate. Mind-blowing is completely insufficient. The stars collided, Veronica. I saw them. I heard them. I felt them.”
She smiled. “You deserve it.”
FOURTEEN
dash
After eating an early dinner at Austin’s with him and the kids, I spent the evening alongside him in his workshop, sawing and sanding and staining the wood planks for Ari’s kitchen.
The garage door was open, and we could hear the kids playing in the backyard while we worked. It reminded me of my childhood, of running around the neighborhood with my brothers and friends until the streetlights came on, when my dad would drag us all inside to clean up and go to bed. Even the scent of the air was the same—clean and woodsy.
The work reminded me of my childhood too. While I’d never been as handy as Austin, our dad had made sure we knew the basics of carpentry, and we’d all tagged along on jobs with him to earn a little extra allowance here and there. I didn’t often work with my hands anymore, and I realized that I enjoyed it. It required skill and patience, strong hands and a good eye, but it wasn’t a performance. You didn’t have any lines. And the only thing you had to feel was the desire to do the job well.
Austin wasn’t really a talker, so we mostly worked side by side in silence, which was fine with me. I knew he was probably itching to ask me what was going on with Ari and why I was doing all this work on her house, but he refrained, and I was grateful. I had the feeling that, like Xander, Austin would not think our arrangement was wise. Xander hadn’t said anything out loud in the kitchen today, but I could tell by his expression that he thought we were making a mistake.
Eventually, Austin left me alone in the garage and herded the kids into the house for showers and snacks before bedtime. By the time he came out, I’d finished applying the stain.
“Looks good,” he said, assessing my work.
“Thanks.”
“You’ll mount it on the wall and add the hooks tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll swing by and grab everything in the morning. Then Ari can show me where she wants the hooks.”
“How are things going with you guys?”
“Fine. It’s casual,” I added, although it didn’t really feel all that casual when I was with her. “We’re just hanging out.”
“Veronica said she’s coming to the wedding?”
“As Mabel’s date,” I said quickly. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to look at the screen. It was a text from Ari.
How did everything go?
Good. I’m about to leave Austin’s. Can I call you in a minute?
Sure xoxo
I called her on my way home.
“Hello?”
“Hey. How was dance class?”
“Excellent. Very freeing. You should have come.”
“I freed myself with some manual labor.”
She laughed. “I appreciate it.”
“I was thinking of mounting the planks in the morning, but I assume you have to work.”
“I do. I can either leave the door open when I leave at six or get you a key tonight.”
Most likely, it was perfectly safe to leave the door open in Cherry Tree Harbor for a few hours on a Tuesday morning, but option B meant I got to see her sooner. “I can swing by and grab a key. Are you home?”
“Yes. Just got out of the shower.”
My entire body warmed. “I’ll be there in a few.”
Less than five minutes later, I knocked on her front door. She pulled it open wearing a hot pink satin robe. It was short and belted loosely at the waist, revealing a deep V of bare skin between her breasts. Her feet were bare, her hair was wet, and she smelled like the beach again. “Hi. Come on in.”
I stepped into the house and shut the door behind me. Immediately wrapping her in my arms, I buried my face in her hair. “You always smell so fucking good. What is that?”
“My shampoo, maybe?” She looped her arms around my waist and inhaled. “You smell good too.”
“Me? I smell like sweat and wood stain. Maybe a little sawdust.”
“Mmmm. I like it.” She tipped her head back. “Very manly.”
I dropped a kiss on her lips. “I can’t stay.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her some more, tasting mint from her toothpaste. “You’re ready for bed.”
“Mhm.”
My mouth worked its way across her jaw and down her throat. “And I have to go take care of Fritz.”
“Yes.”
My hands slid down her silky back and squeezed her ass. “I should just get that key and go.”
“Sure.”
I untied her robe, and it fell open, revealing her nakedness beneath. My cock twitched. “Fuck. Maybe I have a minute.”